Vehicle backlit assembly with photoluminescent structure

ABSTRACT

A vehicle backlit assembly is provided and includes a support member and at least one backlit interactive member at least partially extending through an opening in the support member. An excitation source is operable to emit a primary emission for backlighting the at least one backlit interactive member. A photoluminescent structure is coupled to the at least one backlit interactive member and is formulated to convert the primary emission into a secondary emission. An opaque layer is coupled to the photoluminescent structure and defines an opening through which the secondary emission is transmitted.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/086,442, filed Nov. 21, 2013, and entitled “VEHICLE LIGHTINGSYSTEM WITH PHOTOLUMINESCENT STRUCTURE,” the entire disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to vehicle lighting systems, andmore particularly, to vehicle lighting systems employingphotoluminescent structures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Illumination arising from photoluminescent structures offers a uniqueand attractive viewing experience. It is therefore desired toincorporate such photoluminescent structures in a vehicle lightingsystem to provide ambient and task lighting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle backlitassembly is provided and includes a support member and at least onebacklit interactive member at least partially extending through anopening in the support member. An excitation source is operable to emita primary emission for backlighting the at least one backlit interactivemember. A photoluminescent structure is coupled to the at least onebacklit interactive member and is formulated to convert the primaryemission into a secondary emission. An opaque layer is coupled to thephotoluminescent structure and defines an opening through which thesecondary emission is transmitted.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle backlitassembly is provided and includes an interactive member configured to besupported in a trimplate and has a light conducting body. Aphotoluminescent structure is coupled to the light conducting body andconfigured to receive through an input surface a primary emissioncomprising at least one of a first inputted electromagnetic radiation, asecond inputted electromagnetic radiation, and a third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation. The photoluminescent structure contains ared-emitting photoluminescent material formulated to convert the firstinputted electromagnetic radiation into a first outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, a green-emitting photoluminescent materialformulated to convert the second inputted electromagnetic radiation intoa second outputted electromagnetic radiation, and a blue-emittingphotoluminescent material formulated to convert the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation into a third outputted electromagneticradiation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle backlitassembly is provided and includes a support member for supporting atleast one interactive member. A photoluminescent structure is coupled tothe at least one interactive member and formulated to convert at leastone inputted electromagnetic radiation into at least one outputtedelectromagnetic radiation expressing a color sensation found in an RGBcolor space.

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present inventionwill be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art uponstudying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front passenger compartment of anautomotive vehicle having various illuminated fixtures;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rear passenger compartment of theautomotive vehicle having various illuminated fixtures;

FIG. 3A illustrates a photoluminescent structure rendered as a coating;

FIG. 3B illustrates the photoluminescent structure rendered as adiscrete particle;

FIG. 3C illustrates a plurality photoluminescent structures rendered asdiscrete particles and incorporated into a separate structure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a vehicle lighting system employing a front-litconfiguration;

FIG. 5 illustrates the vehicle lighting system employing a backlitconfiguration;

FIG. 6 illustrates a control system of the vehicle lighting system;

FIG. 7 illustrates a backlit assembly provided in a center console of anautomotive vehicle;

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of a backlit interactivemember taken along lines VIII-VIII of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram of a vehicle dome lightingsystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in variousand alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to a detaileddesign and some schematics may be exaggerated or minimized to showfunction overview. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention.

As used herein, the term “and/or,” when used in a list of two or moreitems, means that any one of the listed items can be employed by itself,or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be employed.For example, if a composition is described as containing components A,B, and/or C, the composition can contain A alone; B alone; C alone; Aand B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination; orA, B, and C in combination.

The following disclosure describes a vehicle lighting system in which avehicle fixture receives a photoluminescent structure for converting aprimary emission into a secondary emission generally having a new color.For purposes of this disclosure, a vehicle fixture refers to anyinterior or exterior piece of vehicle equipment, or part thereof,suitable for receiving the photoluminescent structure described herein.While the implementation of the vehicle lighting system described hereinis primarily directed towards automotive vehicle use, it should beappreciated that the vehicle lighting system may also be implemented inother types of vehicles designed to transport one or more passengerssuch as, but not limited to, watercrafts, trains, and aircrafts.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a passenger compartment 10 of an automotivevehicle is generally shown having a variety of exemplary vehiclefixtures 12 a-12 g located in the front and rear of the passengercompartment 10. The fixtures 12 a-12 g generally correspond to aheadliner, a floor mat, a door trim panel, and various parts of a seatincluding a seat base, a backrest, a headrest, and a seat back,respectively. For purposes of illustration, and not limitation, eachfixture 12 a-12 g may receive a photoluminescent structure, furtherdescribed below, on a selected area 14 a-14 f of each fixture 12 a-12 f.With respect to the vehicle lighting system described herein, it shouldbe appreciated that the selected area 12 a-12 f is not limited to anyparticular shape or size and may include portions of a fixture havingplanar and/or non-planar configurations. Although some fixtures 12 a-12g have been exemplarily provided, it should be appreciated that otherfixtures may be used in accordance with the vehicle lighting systemdescribed herein. Such fixtures may include instrument panels andcomponents thereon, interactive mechanisms (e.g. push buttons, switches,dials, and the like), indicating devices (e.g. speedometer, tachometer,etc.), printed surfaces, in addition to exterior fixtures such as, butnot limited to, keyless entry buttons, badges, side markers, licenseplate lamps, trunk lamps, headlights, and tail lights.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, a photoluminescent structure 16 is generallyshown rendered as a coating (e.g. a film) capable of being applied to avehicle fixture, a discrete particle capable of being implanted in avehicle fixture, and a plurality of discrete particles incorporated intoa separate structure capable of being applied to a vehicle fixture,respectively. At the most basic level, the photoluminescent structure 16includes an energy conversion layer 18 that may be provided as a singlelayer or a multilayer structure, as shown through broken lines in FIGS.3A and 3B. The energy conversion layer 18 may include one or morephotoluminescent materials having energy converting elements selectedfrom a phosphorescent or a fluorescent material and formulated toconvert an inputted electromagnetic radiation into an outputtedelectromagnetic radiation generally having a longer wavelength andexpressing a color that is not characteristic of the inputtedelectromagnetic radiation. The difference in wavelength between theinputted and outputted electromagnetic radiations is referred to as theStokes shift and serves as the principle driving mechanism for theabovementioned energy conversion process, often referred to as downconversion.

The energy conversion layer 18 may be prepared by dispersing thephotoluminescent material in a polymer matrix to form a homogenousmixture using a variety of methods. Such methods may include preparingthe energy conversion layer 18 from a formulation in a liquid carriermedium and coating the energy conversion layer 18 to a desired planarand/or non-planar substrate of a vehicle fixture. The energy conversionlayer 18 coating may be deposited on the selected vehicle fixture bypainting, screen printing, spraying, slot coating, dip coating, rollercoating, and bar coating. Alternatively the energy conversion layer 18may be prepared by methods that do not use a liquid carrier medium. Forexample, a solid state solution (homogenous mixture in a dry state) ofone or more photoluminescent materials in a polymer matrix may beconverted to the energy conversion layer 18 by extrusion, injectionmolding, compression molding, calendaring, and thermoforming. Ininstances where one or more energy conversion layers 18 are rendered asparticles, the single or multi-layered energy conversion layers 18 maybe implanted into the chosen vehicle fixture instead of applying it as acoating. When the energy conversion layer 18 includes a multilayerformulation, each layer may be sequentially coated, or the layers can beseparately prepared and later laminated or embossed together to form anintegral layer. Alternatively, the layers may be coextruded to preparean integrated multi-layered energy conversion structure.

Referring back to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the photoluminescent structure 16 mayoptionally include at least one stability layer 20 to protect thephotoluminescent material contained within the energy conversion layer18 from photolytic and thermal degradation to provide sustainedemissions of outputted electromagnetic radiation. The stability layer 20may be configured as a separate layer and is optically coupled andadhered to the energy conversion layer 18 or otherwise integrated withthe energy conversion layer 18 provided a suitable polymer matrix isselected. The photoluminescent structure 16 may also optionally includea protection layer 22 optically coupled and adhered to the stabilitylayer 20 or other layer to protect the photoluminescent structure 16from physical and chemical damage arising from environmental exposure.

The stability layer 20 and/or the protection layer 22 may be combinedwith the energy conversion layer 18 to form an integratedphotoluminescent structure 16 through sequential coating or printing ofeach layer, or by sequential lamination or embossing. Alternatively,several layers may be combined by sequential coating, lamination, orembossing to form a substructure, and the required substructure thenlaminated or embossed together to form the integrated photoluminescentstructure 16. Once formed, the photoluminescent structure 16 may beapplied to a chosen vehicle fixture. Alternatively, the photoluminescentstructure 16 may be incorporated into the chosen vehicle fixture as oneor more discrete multilayered particles. Alternatively still, thephotoluminescent structure 16 may be provided as one or more discretemultilayered particles dispersed in a polymer formulation that issubsequently applied to the chosen vehicle fixture as a contiguousstructure. Additional information regarding the construction ofphotoluminescent structures is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,232,533entitled “PHOTOLYTICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY STABLE MULTILAYER STRUCTUREFOR HIGH EFFICIENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY CONVERSION AND SUSTAINEDSECONDARY EMISSION,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a vehicle lighting system 24 is generallyshown according to a front-lit configuration (FIG. 4) and a backlitconfiguration (FIG. 5). In both configurations, the vehicle lightingsystem 24 includes a photoluminescent structure 16 rendered as a coatingand applied to a substrate 40 of a vehicle fixture 42. Thephotoluminescent structure 16 includes an energy conversion layer 18 andoptionally includes a stability layer 20 and/or a protection layer 22,as described previously. The energy conversion layer 18 includes ared-emitting photoluminescent material X₁, a green-emittingphotoluminescent material X₂, and a blue-emitting photoluminescentmaterial X₃ dispersed in a polymer matrix 44. The red, green, andblue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂, and X₃ are chosenbecause varying mixtures of red, green, and blue light will enable avariety of color sensations to be duplicated. As further describedbelow, an excitation source 26 is operable to excite each of the red,green, and blue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂, and X₃ invarious combinations to produce different colored light, which isallowed to escape from the photoluminescent structure 16 to provideambient or task lighting.

The excitation source 26 is generally shown in an external locationrelative to the photoluminescent structure 16 and is operable to emit aprimary emission having a light content defined by a first inputtedelectromagnetic radiation represented as directional arrow 28, a secondinputted electromagnetic radiation represented as directional arrow 30,and/or a third inputted electromagnetic radiation represented asdirectional arrow 32. The contribution of each inputted electromagneticradiation 28, 30, 32 in the primary emission depends on an activationstate of a corresponding light emitting diode (LED) configured to outputlight at a unique peak wavelength. In both configurations, the firstinputted electromagnetic radiation 28 is emitted from blue LED 34 at apeak wavelength λ₁ selected from a blue spectral color range, which isdefined herein as the range of wavelengths generally expressed as bluelight (˜450-495 nanometers). The second inputted electromagneticradiation 30 is emitted from blue LED 36 at a peak wavelength λ₂ alsoselected from the blue spectral color range and the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation 32 is emitted from blue LED 38 at a peakwavelength λ₃ further selected from the blue spectral color range.

By virtue of peak wavelengths λ₁, λ₂, and λ₃ having different lengths,blue LEDs 34, 36, and 38 may each be primarily responsible for excitingone of the red, green, and blue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁,X₂, X₃. Specifically, blue LED 34 is primarily responsible for excitingthe red-emitting photoluminescent material X₁, blue LED 36 is primarilyresponsible for exciting the green-emitting photoluminescent materialX₂, and blue LED 38 is primarily responsible for exciting theblue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃. For more efficient energyconversion, the red-emitting photoluminescent material X₁ is selected tohave a peak absorption wavelength corresponding to the peak wavelengthλ₁ associated with the first inputted electromagnetic radiation 28. Whenexcited, the red-emitting photoluminescent material X₁ converts thefirst inputted electromagnetic radiation 28 into a first outputtedelectromagnetic radiation represented as directional arrow 46 and havinga peak emission wavelength E₁ that includes a wavelength of a redspectral color range, which is defined herein as the range ofwavelengths generally expressed as red light (˜620-750 nanometers).Likewise, the green-emitting photoluminescent material X₂ is selected tohave a peak absorption wavelength corresponding to the peak wavelengthλ₂ of the second inputted electromagnetic radiation 30. When excited,the green-emitting photoluminescent material X₂ converts the secondelectromagnetic radiation 30 into a second outputted electromagneticradiation represented as directional arrow 48 and having a peak emissionwavelength E₂ that includes a wavelength of a green spectral colorrange, which is defined herein as the range of wavelengths generallyexpressed as green light (˜526-606 nanometers). Lastly, theblue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃ is selected to have a peakabsorption wavelength corresponding to the peak wavelength λ₃ of thethird inputted electromagnetic radiation 32. When excited, theblue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃ converts the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation 32 into a third outputted electromagneticradiation represented as arrow 50 and having a peak emission wavelengthE₃ that includes a longer wavelength of the blue spectral color range.

Given the relatively narrow band of the blue spectral color range, it isrecognized that some spectral overlap may occur between the absorptionspectrums of the red, green, and blue-emitting photoluminescentmaterials X₁, X₂, X₃. This may result in the inadvertent excitement ofmore than one of the red, green, and blue-emitting photoluminescentmaterials X₁, X₂, X₃ despite only one of the blue LEDs 34, 36, 38 beingactive, thereby producing unexpected color mixtures. Thus, if desiringgreater color separation, the red, green, and blue-emittingphotoluminescent materials X₁, X₂, X₃ should be selected to have narrowband absorption spectrums for minimizing any spectral overlaptherebetween and peak wavelengths λ₁, λ₂, and λ₃ should be spaced apartto enable sufficient separation between the peak absorption wavelengthsof the red, green, and blue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂,X₃. In this manner, depending on which of the red, green, andblue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂, X₃ are excited, asecondary emission having a more predictable light content may beproduced. The secondary emission may express a variety of colors foundin a typical RGB color space, including colors that are predominatelyred, green, blue, or any combination thereof. For example, when blueLEDs 34, 36, and 38 are activated simultaneously, the secondary emissionmay contain an additive light mixture of red, green, and blue light,which is generally perceived as white light. Other color sensationsfound in the RGB color space may be produced by activating blue LEDs 34,36, and 38 in different combinations and/or changing the outputintensity associated with the blue LEDs 34, 36, 38 through currentcontrol, pulsewidth modulation (PWM), or other means.

Regarding the vehicle lighting system 24 disclosed herein, blue LEDs 34,36, and 38 are chosen as the excitation source 26 to take advantage ofthe relative cost benefit attributed therewith when used in vehiclelighting applications. Another advantage of using blue LEDs 34, 36, and38 is the relatively low visibility of blue light, which may presentless of a distraction to a vehicle driver and other occupants ininstances where the primary emission must propagate in plain view beforereaching the photoluminescent structure 16. Nevertheless, it should beappreciated that the vehicle lighting system 24 may also be implementedusing other lighting devices as well as sunlight and/or ambient light.Furthermore, given the range of vehicle fixtures capable of receivingthe photoluminescent structure 16, it should also be appreciated thatthe location of the excitation source 26 will naturally vary dependingon the makeup of a particular vehicle fixture and may be external orinternal to the photoluminescent structure 16 and/or the vehiclefixture. It should further be appreciated that the excitation source 26may provide the primary emission directly or indirectly to thephotoluminescent structure 16. That is, the excitation source 26 may bepositioned such that the primary emission propagates towards thephotoluminescent structure 16 or positioned such that the primaryemission is distributed to the photoluminescent structure 16 via a lightpipe, optical device, or the like.

The energy conversion process used by each of the red, green, andblue-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂, X₃ described above maybe variously implemented given the wide selection of energy conversionelements available. According to one implementation, the energyconversion process occurs through a single absorption/emission eventdriven by one energy conversion element. For instance, the red-emittingphotoluminescent material X₁ may include a phosphor exhibiting a largeStokes shift for absorbing the first inputted electromagnetic radiation28 and subsequently emitting the first outputted electromagneticradiation 46. Likewise, the green-emitting photoluminescent material X₂may also include a phosphor exhibiting a large Stokes shift forabsorbing the second inputted electromagnetic radiation 48 and emittingthe second outputted electromagnetic radiation. One benefit of using aphosphor or other energy conversion element exhibiting a large Stokesshift is that greater color separation may be achieved between aninputted electromagnetic and an outputted electromagnetic radiation dueto a reduction in spectral overlap between the corresponding absorptionand emission spectrums. Similarly, by exhibiting a single Stokes shift,the absorption and/or emission spectrums for a given photoluminescentmaterial are less likely to have spectral overlap with the absorptionand/or emission spectrums of another photoluminescent material therebyproviding greater color separation between the selected photoluminescentmaterials.

According to another implementation, the energy conversion processoccurs through an energy cascade of absorption/emission events driven bya plurality of energy conversion elements with relatively shorter Stokesshifts. For example, the red-emitting photoluminescent material X₁ maycontain fluorescent dyes, whereby some or all of the first inputtedelectromagnetic radiation 28 is absorbed to emit a first intermediateelectromagnetic radiation having a longer wavelength and a color that isnot characteristic of the first inputted electromagnetic radiation 28.The first intermediate electromagnetic radiation is then absorbed asecond time to emit a second intermediate electromagnetic radiationhaving yet a longer wavelength and a color that is not characteristic ofthe first intermediate electromagnetic radiation. The secondintermediate electromagnetic radiation may be further converted withadditional energy conversion elements exhibiting the appropriate Stokesshifts until the desired peak emission wavelength E₁ associated with thefirst outputted electromagnetic radiation 46 is obtained. A similarenergy conversion process may also be observed for the green-emittingphotoluminescent material X₂. While energy conversion processesimplementing energy cascades may produce broad color spectrums,increasing the number of Stokes shifts may result in less efficient downconversions due to a greater likelihood of spectral overlap between theassociated absorption and emission spectrums. In addition, if desiringgreater color separation, additional consideration should be exercisedsuch that the absorption and/or emission spectrums of a photoluminescentmaterial have minimal overlap with the absorption and/or emissionspectrums of another photoluminescent material also implementing anenergy cascade or some other energy conversion process.

Regarding the blue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃, successiveconversions of the third inputted electromagnetic radiation 32 via anenergy cascade are unlikely to be necessary since the inputtedelectromagnetic radiation 32 and the outputted electromagnetic radiation50 are both predisposed to have relatively close peak wavelengths in theblue spectral color range. Thus, the blue photoluminescent material X₃may include an energy conversion element exhibiting a small Stokesshift. If desiring greater color separation, the blue photoluminescentmaterial X₃ should be selected with an emission spectrum having minimalspectral overlap with the absorption spectrums of the red andgreen-emitting photoluminescent materials X₁, X₂. Alternatively, anultraviolet LED may replace blue LED 38 to enable an energy conversionelement exhibiting a larger Stokes shift to be used and to provide moreflexible spacing opportunities for the emission spectrum of theblue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃ within the blue spectralcolor range. For front-lit configurations, the photoluminescentstructure 16 may alternatively include a narrowband reflective materialconfigured to reflect the third inputted electromagnetic radiation 32emitted from blue LED 38 in lieu of performing an energy conversionthereto to express blue light, which obviates the need for including theblue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃. Alternatively, theaforementioned reflective material may be configured to reflect aselected amount of the first and second inputted electromagneticradiations 28, 30 to express blue light, thereby obviating the need forincluding the blue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃ and blue LED38. For back-lit configurations, blue light may alternatively beexpressed by merely relying on some amount of the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation 32 passing through the photoluminescentstructure 16, wherein the blue-emitting photoluminescent material X₃ hasbeen omitted.

Since many energy conversion elements are Lambertian emitters, theresulting secondary emissions may be propagated in all directions,including directions pointing away from a desired output surface 52 ofthe photoluminescent structure 16. As a result, some or all of thesecondary emissions may be trapped (total internal reflection) orabsorbed by corresponding structures (e.g. the vehicle fixture 42),thereby reducing the luminosity of the photoluminescent structure 16. Tominimize the aforementioned phenomenon, the photoluminescent structure16 may optionally include at least one wavelength-selective layer 54formulated to redirect (e.g. reflect) wayward propagating secondaryemissions towards the output surface 52, which also behaves as an inputsurface 56 with respect to front-lit configuration shown in FIG. 4. Ininstances where the input surface 56 and output surface 52 aredifferent, as generally shown by the backlit configuration in FIG. 5,the wavelength-selective layer 54 should readily transmit any primaryemissions and redirect any wayward propagating secondary emissionstowards the output surface 52.

In both configurations, the wavelength-selective layer 54 is positionedbetween the substrate 40 and the energy conversion layer 18 so that atleast some secondary emissions propagating towards the substrate 40 areredirected towards the output surface 52 to maximize the output of thesecondary emission from the photoluminescent structure 16. To this end,the wavelength-selective layer 54 should at the very least be preparedfrom materials that scatter, but do not absorb, the peak emissionwavelengths E₁, E₂, E₃ associated with the first, second, and thirdoutputted electromagnetic radiations 46, 48, 50, respectively. Thewavelength-selective layer 54 may be rendered as a coating and isoptically coupled to the energy conversion layer 18 and adhered to boththe energy conversion layer 18 and the substrate 40 using some of thepreviously described methods, or other suitable methods.

Referring to FIG. 6, the excitation source 26 may be electricallycoupled to a processor 60, which provides power to the excitation source26 via a power source 62 (e.g. onboard vehicle power supply) andcontrols the operational state of the excitation source and/or theintensity levels of the primary emission of the excitation source 26.Control instructions to the processor 60 may be executed automaticallyfrom a program stored within memory. Additionally or alternatively,control instructions may be provided from a vehicle device or system viaat least one input 64. Additionally or alternatively still, controlinstructions may be provided to the processor 60 via any conventionaluser input mechanism 66, such as, but not limited to, push button,switches, touchscreens, and the like. While the processor 60 is shownelectrically coupled to one excitation source 26 in FIG. 6, it should beappreciated that the processor 60 may also be configured to controladditional excitation sources using any of the methods described above.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a backlit assembly 67 is generally shown andwill be described herein as incorporating the vehicle lighting system 24in a backlit configuration described previously with reference to FIG. 5and may employ any alternative configurations associated therewith. Asshown in FIG. 7, the backlit assembly 67 is exemplarily provided in acenter console having a support member 68 (e.g. a trimplate) supportingone or more backlit interactive members, indicated by reference numerals70 a, 70 b, and 70 c. For purposes of illustration, the backlitinteractive members 70 a, 70 b, 70 c are embodied as a push button, arotary knob, and a toggle switch, respectively, each configurable toenable a user to interface with one or more vehicle features such as anaudio system, a climate control system, a navigation system, etc.

Referring to FIG. 8, a cross sectional view of backlit interactivemember 70 a is shown according to one embodiment. With respect to theillustrated embodiment, backlit interactive member 70 a at leastpartially extends through an opening formed in the support member 68 andmay be mounted in the backlit assembly 67 in any conventional manner.The backlit interactive member 70 a may include a light conducting bodyhaving a front side 78 and at least one sidewall 80, and may be formedthrough injection molding or other suitable methods. While the backlitinteractive member 70 a is embodied as a push button in FIG. 8, itshould be appreciated that other embodiments are also possible such as arotary knob, a toggle switch, or the like.

According to the present embodiment, the excitation source 26 ispositioned to provide a primary emission in the form of backlighting, asrepresented by directional arrow 84 to the backlit interactive member 70a. The primary emission 84 may be provided directly from the excitationsource 26 or indirectly via a light pipe, optical device, or the likeand may contain one or more inputted electromagnetic radiations, eachhaving a uniquely associated peak wavelength and each being emitted froma corresponding LED.

The primary emission 84 is supplied to the front side 78 of the backlitinteractive member 70 a and is transmitted therethrough. The primaryemission 84 is then received in the photoluminescent structure 16, whichmay convert substantially all of the primary emission into a secondaryemission containing one or more outputted electromagnetic radiations,each having a uniquely associated peak emission wavelength.Alternatively, the photoluminescent structure 16 may convert some of theprimary emission into the secondary emission and transmit the rest as anunconverted outputted electromagnetic radiation. In any event, one ormore outputted electromagnetic radiations, collectively represented byarrow 86, exit through the output surface 52 of the photoluminescentstructure 16 and express a color sensation found in an RGB color space.

To bolster the luminosity of the photoluminescent structure 16, awavelength-selective layer 54 may be provided therein for redirectingany backscattered secondary emissions 86 towards the output surface 52.Optionally, an opaque layer 88 is coupled to at least thephotoluminescent structure 16 and defines an opening 90 that ischaracteristic of an insignia through which the secondary emission 86 istransmitted, thereby illuminating the insignia.

Referring to FIG. 9, a schematic diagram is shown for implementing avehicle dome lighting system 92 in a vehicle 93. The vehicle domelighting system 92 incorporates the vehicle lighting system 24 in afront-lit configuration as described previously in reference to FIG. 4and may employ any alternative configurations associated therewith. Asshown in FIG. 9, the photoluminescent structure 16 is contiguouslycoupled to a vehicle headliner 94 and a plurality of excitation sources26 a-26 g are each positioned to emit a primary emission towards anassociated area 96 a-96 g of the photoluminescent structure 16. Theprimary emission emitted from any given excitation source 26 a-26 g maycontain one or more inputted electromagnetic radiations, each having auniquely associated peak wavelength and each being emitted from acorresponding LED. As previously described, the photoluminescentstructure 16 may convert substantially all of the primary emission intoa secondary emission containing one or more outputted electromagneticradiations, each having a uniquely associated peak emission wavelength.Alternatively, the photoluminescent structure 16 may reflect some of theprimary emission and convert the rest into the secondary emission andreflect. In either configuration, the photoluminescent structure 16 mayoptionally include the wavelength-selective layer 54 for redirecting anybackscattered secondary emission to bolster the luminosity of thephotoluminescent structure 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, excitation sources 26 a-26 d are eachoperably coupled to an associated headrest 98 a-98 d and opticallyconfigured to illuminate a corresponding corner area 96 a-96 d of thephotoluminescent structure 16 in a generally circular pattern.Excitation sources 26 e and 26 f are each optically coupled to anassociated b-pillar 100 e, 100 f and are each optically configured toilluminate a corresponding side area 96 e, 96 f of the photoluminescentstructure 16 in a generally half-circular pattern. Lastly, excitationsource 26 g is operably coupled to the vehicle headliner 94 andoptically configured to illuminate a corresponding central area 96 g ina generally circular pattern. As can be seen in FIG. 9, such anarrangement provides the opportunity for overlap between associatedareas 96 a-96 g that are adjacent to one another, thereby covering asubstantial total area of the photoluminescent structure 16. As such,the vehicle dome lighting system 92 may be controlled (e.g. viaprocessor 60) to provide a total or isolated lighting experience byactivating all or some of the excitation sources 26 a-26 g. Additionallyor alternatively, the use of multiple excitation sources 26 a-26 g,enables any given associated area 96 a-96 g of the photoluminescentstructure 16 to produce a color sensation (composed of outputtedelectromagnetic radiation and/or reflected inputted electromagneticradiation) found in an RGB color space that is similar or different tothe color sensation produced by any other associated area 96 a-96 g.This may be achieved by manipulating the light content of the primaryemission emitted from any active excitation source 26 a-26 g.

Accordingly, a vehicle lighting system 24 has been described herein. Thevehicle lighting system 24 advantageously employs a photoluminescentstructure 16 capable of converting a primary emission into a secondaryemission to provide a variety of color sensations, thereby enhancing adriving experience and/or general appearance of a vehicle fixture.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made onthe aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of thepresent invention, and further it is to be understood that such conceptsare intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claimsby their language expressly state otherwise.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle backlit assembly, comprising: a supportmember; at least one backlit interactive member at least partiallyextending through an opening in the support member; an excitation sourceoperable to emit a primary emission for backlighting the at least onebacklit interactive member; a photoluminescent structure coupled to theat least one backlit interactive member and formulated to convert theprimary emission into a secondary emission; and an opaque layer coupledto the photoluminescent structure and defining an opening through whichthe secondary emission is transmitted.
 2. The vehicle backlit assemblyof claim 1, wherein the excitation source comprises a first blue lightemitting diode, a second blue light emitting diode, and a third bluelight emitting diode, each operable to output a uniquely associated peakwavelength of blue light.
 3. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 2,wherein the primary emission comprises at least one of a first inputtedelectromagnetic radiation emitted from the first blue light emittingdiode, a second inputted electromagnetic radiation emitted from thesecond blue light emitting diode, and a third inputted electromagneticradiation emitted from the third blue light emitting diode.
 4. Thevehicle backlit assembly of claim 3, wherein the photoluminescentstructure comprises an energy conversion layer having a red-emittingphotoluminescent material that is primarily excited by the firstinputted electromagnetic radiation, a green-emitting photoluminescentmaterial that is primarily excited by the second inputtedelectromagnetic radiation, and a blue-emitting photoluminescent materialthat is primarily excited by the third blue light emitting diode.
 5. Thevehicle backlit assembly of claim 4, wherein the secondary emissioncomprises at least one of a first outputted electromagnetic radiation, asecond outputted electromagnetic radiation, and a third outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, each having a uniquely associated peakemission wavelength.
 6. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 5, whereinthe red-emitting photoluminescent material converts the first inputtedelectromagnetic radiation into the first outputted electromagneticradiation, the green-emitting photoluminescent material converts thesecond inputted electromagnetic radiation into the second outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, and the blue-emitting photoluminescentmaterial converts the third inputted electromagnetic radiation into thethird outputted electromagnetic radiation.
 7. A vehicle backlitassembly, comprising: a backlit interactive member configured to besupported in a trimplate and having a light conducting body and aphotoluminescent structure coupled to the light conducting body andconfigured to receive through an input surface a primary emissioncomprising at least one of a first inputted electromagnetic radiation, asecond inputted electromagnetic radiation, and a third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation, wherein the photoluminescent structurecontains a red-emitting photoluminescent material formulated to convertthe first inputted electromagnetic radiation into a first outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, a green-emitting photoluminescent materialformulated to convert the second inputted electromagnetic radiation intoa second outputted electromagnetic radiation, and a blue-emittingphotoluminescent material formulated to convert the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation into a third outputted electromagneticradiation.
 8. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 7, furthercomprising an opaque layer coupled to the photoluminescent structure anddefining an opening through which a secondary emission is emitted,wherein the secondary emission includes at least one of the firstoutputted electromagnetic radiation, the second outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, and the third outputted electromagneticradiation depending on which of the red, green, and blue-emittingphotoluminescent materials are excited.
 9. The vehicle backlit assemblyof claim 7, wherein the backlit interactive member is configured to beone of rotated, pushed, and toggled.
 10. The vehicle backlit assembly ofclaim 7, wherein the first, second, and third inputted electromagneticradiations each have a uniquely associated peak wavelength.
 11. Thevehicle backlit assembly of claim 10, wherein the first, second, andthird inputted electromagnetic radiations are each expressed as bluelight.
 12. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 11, wherein the first,second, and third outputted electromagnetic radiations each have auniquely associated peak emission wavelength.
 13. A vehicle backlitassembly, comprising: a support member for supporting at least onebacklit interactive member; and a photoluminescent structure coupled tothe at least one backlit interactive member and formulated to convert atleast one inputted electromagnetic radiation into at least one outputtedelectromagnetic radiation expressing a color sensation found in an RGBcolor space.
 14. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 13, wherein theat least one backlit interactive member comprises one of a push button,a rotary knob, and a toggle switch.
 15. The vehicle backlit assembly ofclaim 13, further comprising an opaque layer coupled to thephotoluminescent structure and defining an opening through which the atleast one outputted electromagnetic radiation is transmitted.
 16. Thevehicle backlit assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one inputtedelectromagnetic radiation comprises a first inputted electromagneticradiation, a second inputted electromagnetic radiation, and a thirdinputted electromagnetic radiation, each having a uniquely associatedpeak wavelength.
 17. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 16, furthercomprising a first blue light emitting diode operable to emit the firstinputted electromagnetic radiation, a second blue light emitting diodefor emitting the second inputted electromagnetic radiation, and one of athird blue light emitting diode and an ultraviolet light emitting diodefor emitting the third inputted electromagnetic radiation.
 18. Thevehicle backlit assembly of claim 17, wherein the photoluminescentstructure comprises a red-emitting photoluminescent material formulatedto convert the first inputted electromagnetic radiation into a firstoutputted electromagnetic radiation and a green-emittingphotoluminescent material formulated to convert the second inputtedelectromagnetic radiation into a second outputted electromagneticradiation.
 19. The vehicle backlit assembly of claim 18, wherein thethird inputted electromagnetic radiation is unconverted.
 20. The vehiclebacklit assembly of claim 17, wherein the photoluminescent structurecomprises a red-emitting photoluminescent material formulated to convertthe first inputted electromagnetic radiation into a first outputtedelectromagnetic radiation, a green-emitting photoluminescent materialformulated to convert the second inputted electromagnetic radiation intoa second outputted electromagnetic radiation, and a blue-emittingphotoluminescent material formulated to convert the third inputtedelectromagnetic radiation into a third outputted electromagneticradiation.